Increased tuition fees mean students will be more selective in their choice of
studies in Clearing 2012 due to concern over debt, according to new
research.

Students applying for university this year are likely to be more selective in their choice of studies, opting for degree courses which they consider to be "worth it" in terms of time and money investment, according to new research.

The findings, released the day before around 300,000 students receive their A-level results and the start of the University Clearing period, are expected to have a knock-on effect on the Clearing process and dropout rates.

"Questions of employability upon graduation are regarded as highly important", the study concluded. "It can be expected that prospective students will be more selective in their choice of studies, which might have a knock-on effect on the clearing process and dropout rates."

The study, performed by Oxford University, found that the increase of tuition fees to up to £9000 per year has increased concerns about debt among students, with many not expecting to be able to pay back the full amount of their debt at all.

However, the study also found that students are still likely to make their choice of degree subject based on interest rather than financial expectations.

"While differences in expected cost of studying at different institutions was not the predominant factor in choices about where to apply, the high level of debt prospective students expect means that they regard their decisions about higher education to be very significant than previous cohorts," it found.

Findings from the study, which surveyed more than 700 sixth-formers and conducted focus groups, showed that while 24 per cent of males and 23.1 per cent of females expected to accrue debts of above £40,000 during their higher education, lower earnings expectations among new undergraduates also meant one in five did not expect to pay back their debts in full.

This conviction was particularly strong among those attending new universities – 30 per cent attending post-1992 higher education institutions expected not to fully repay their debt, compared with 15.2 per cent of those enrolled at Russell Group universities.

"Many of the sixth-formers we questioned were not sure about the financial costs and benefits of a degree, and it seems they postpone concerns about debt until later, " said Dr Hubert Ertl, a researcher on the study. "They were clear that higher fees have increased the pressure on them to make the right decisions concerning where they invest their time and money."

The study was conducted by the Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance at Oxford University.